Our cars: Mazda CX-5 - June

Earlier this week I had the unusual job of collecting a new front door for my house – a recent eBay purchase. The only car on the What Car? fleet that had a hope of swallowing the door whole was Iain Reid's Mazda CX-5, so it was either that or hiring a van.

Thankfully, the Mazda was up to the job. Folding down the rear seats and sliding the front passenger seat as far forward as possible meant the two-metre long door just squeezed in, although I did need to rest the edge on some cardboard to stop it scuffing that hard plastic mouldings at the sides of the boot.

Will.nightingale@whatcar.com

Week ending June 22Mileage 5500Driven this week 150 miles

I nabbed the keys to Iain's CX-5 this week to test out whether it matched up to other Mazdas in what I consider to be a crucial area.

I'm rather fond of Mazdas, and largely because of the slick and precise gearshift that is a feature in most of its models.

Thankfully the CX-5 is little different to the rest of the Mazda range, and even though this is one of the firm's most practical models it still offers the same smooth and tight gearshift experience as the likes of the MX-5. While the CX-5 is less likely to need this to hustle through B-road corners, it does make for a more stress-free morning commute.

Tom.Webster@whatcar.com

Week ending June 15Mileage 5330Driven this week: 320 miles

The Mazda CX-5 wasn't quite a Chelsea Tractor last week – it was a Kensington one, as I took the family to visit the Natural History Museum in West London. It was the first time we'd all travelled together in the CX-5 and I thought it coped rather well.

My eldest daughter liked the raised seating position in the back – she got a good view out and the boot is big enough to take all the family gear you'll need for a day out.

The engine stop-start system works fine in congested roads, although it doesn't quite kick in as quickly as I would like. In the VW Golf, for example, as soon as you start to push the clutch pedal the engine fires up. With the Mazda, you have to push the clutch fully to the floor before it starts up again.

Still, it all contributes to the 49.6mpg I am averaging at the moment, which I expect is a lot better than the tractors in nearby Chelsea.

Iain.Reid@whatcar.com

Week ending June 8Mileage 5010Driven this week: 205 miles

Our windscreen has been fixed so the CX-5 is back on the road. I've clocked up more than 1000 miles in the car, but as yet I've still to find the perfect driving position. The car has an electrically adjustable driver's seat, but my arms are either too close to the steering wheel or my feet are too far away from the pedals. More fiddling is required.

Iain.Reid@whatcar.com

Week ending June 1Mileage: 4805Driven this week: 0 miles

Our Mazda CX-5 hasn't moved this week. Worse still, it's facing a pretty hefty bill. I'd driven through some roadworks where the road was being resurfaced. A stone was thrown up and hit the windscreen. I didn't see exactly where it hit when I was driving, but by the next morning three long cracks had appeared from the initial impact spot just above the windscreen wipers.

As the car has just gone on sale, sourcing a new screen hasn't been straightforward, but fingers crossed it'll be fixed by the end of the week.